BMW M5 to Debut at Los Angeles Auto Show

30 December 1998

BMW M5 to Make North American Debut at Los Angeles Auto Show; Newest M Car is Powered by 400 Horsepower, 5-Liter V-8

BMW Introduces the M5 at the
Greater L.A. Auto Show

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 30 -- The most powerful M car ever built
made its North American debut at the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show today.
Powered by a 5-liter V-8 engine, the M5 is the flagship model for BMW's
M brand.

This ultra high-performance four-door sedan is the first M car to offer a
V-8 engine, providing drivers with superior power and acceleration. With
400 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and a six-speed manual transmission, the M5
accelerates effortlessly at any speed.

The new M5 is easily distinguished from other 5 Series sedans due to its
re-styled front air dam incorporating a large air scoop and oval fog lamps.
Giving the car a distinctly aggressive look, quad tailpipes highlight the
striking rear of the M5. Newly designed light alloy wheels that measure
8 x 18 inches in the front and 9.5 x 18 inches in the rear are finished in
satin chrome. The M5 is fitted with ultra low-profile 245/40 ZR 18-inch tires
in the front and 275/35 ZR-18 inch tires in the rear.

The newest M car combines characteristics that seem at first contradictory
-- power, dynamic road performance and supreme driving pleasure on the one
hand, while offering luxurious comfort, everyday efficiency and spaciousness
on the other.

The M5 will be available with two interior choices -- sport or exclusive.
Both interiors feature sports seats designed specifically for the M5.
Additional interior highlights include the specially designed instrument
package incorporating a tachometer featuring a variable rpm redline, which
increases as oil temperature increases, and an integrated oil temperature
display. The shift lever of the six-speed manual gearbox is illuminated from
the inside, displaying the double-H shift pattern in the dark.

In addition to the M5, the full line of high performance M cars will be on
display. The M3 convertible and M3 coupe offer six-cylinder power and the
road capabilities that BMW's M brand is known for, and which makes them
competitive with many sports cars costing far more.

The M roadster, with a 3.2-liter, 240-horsepower six-cylinder engine under
its long hood, sets the standard in the two-seat roadster segment. The
M coupe, an authentic GT sports car, is one of the boldest shapes on the road
in 1999.

BMW's M brand continues to build an exciting marque within one of the
world's most famous automobile companies. BMW M is devoted to developing
special high-performance and highly individualized automobiles.

BMW of North America, Inc. was established in 1975, at which point the
company assumed marketing and distribution responsibilities of BMW automobiles
in the U.S. from the previous private distributor. Motorcycle marketing and
distribution was added in 1980. Since then the company's North American
operations have grown to include marketing, sales and financial services
organizations in the United States and Canada; a South Carolina manufacturing
operation; a design firm in California; and various other operations
throughout the U.S. and Canada.

BMW is represented in North America through a network of more than
375 automobile and 190 motorcycle centers in the United States and Canada.
BMW (US) Holding Corp., the marque's North American headquarters, is located
in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.

Information about BMW products is available to consumers via the World
Wide Web on the BMW homepage. The address is http://www.bmwusa.com.

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